Former Fifa referee Benjamin Silva has come under the scanner with a Goa Football Federation official accusing him of “cheating, impersonating and misrepresenting” facts to prolong his international career.

“Former Fifa referee and present Deputy Chairman of the referees Committee of Goa Football Association, Benjamin Incacio Conceicao Silva has submitted to the GFA and AIFF forged documents (which are actually documents of GFA executive committee member and referees Committee chairman of GFA, Benjamin Silva) to lower his age by nearly five years,” Former GFA Secretary Savio Messias wrote in a complaint to GFA President Shrinivas Dempo.

The complaint was taken up at the executive committee meeting on Friday and an inquiry has now been launched.

Messias has submitted several documents including birth certificates of the duo. He has also alleged that Benjamin used a forged birth certificate to secure a passport with the name of Benjamin Silva and date of birth as 31-1-1966 instead of his birth date(8-12-1961).

“A copy of the passport has also been enclosed. Benjamin did all of this to extend his international career. Referees are supposed to retire at 45 and even though he claimed that he retired this year at the age of 43, in reality his age is actually 49,” said a GFA source.

Incidentally, both the Benjamins- referee and executive committee member — hail from the same village in South Goa.

The executive committee member has been accused of colluding with the other since he could not have used the birth certificate and the school leaving certificate of Benjamin (the member) without the latter”s consent and knowledge.